Anthony Weiner just said that a trigger might be able to pass on MSNBC.

He basically said that the current bill (that they support) doesn't start the public option until 2013 anyway, and then there's a 5-year grace period. He said that kicking the can down the road even more wouldn't achieve Obama's objective of cutting costs, but that it might be able to pass Congress.

Why not until 2013, and why a 5 year grace period? Damn it!

That wasn't even with the trigger.

Some people here are really deluding themselves into thinking that the public option the progressive caucus is pushing is going to eventually lead to single payer. Not only will it not start in 2013 and have a 5-year grace period, but it would be closed to anyone with employer-based health insurance (most of the country). This is all in HR3200.

And then if they get another job with HC benefits, do they have to leave the public option?

I thought the whole point of the public option was to keep insurance companies honest by giving them some real competition. Most private health insurance is employer based, so the public plan won't be in competition with them for the major part of their market.

It competes with other plans on the insurance exchange. But the insurance exchange is only open to the long-term unemployed, the self-employed, and small businesses. The House bill allows the administrator to gradually scale up the insurance exchange to allow larger businesses to buy into it (and thereby allowing their employees the choice of a public plan), but the vast majority of Americans would not be able to buy into the public plan as offered by the House and HELP committee bills.

This is why I'm a little bit wary of the heat over the public option. All things considered, I'd prefer one. And a real public option that was available to everyone and used Medicare rates would be a game-changer. But a weak public plan, limited only to abt 20 million people really isn't a game-changer. Obama was raked over the coals for saying that it's only a small part, but the truth is that in the House and HELP committee bills, it really is just a small part. Getting rid of it at this point, on substance, really isn't that big a change, given how weak it is currently.

The main argument for keeping it is that it could eventually be opened to everyone. But if we're planning on making it universal only in the next round, then why not just open up Medicare in the next round, or federalize Medicaid and offer that to everyone in the next round?

and then, when everybody's fine with it, have it open to everyone by merging it with Medicare...

"In the long run, we're all dead." (said in response to the capitalist claim that if you just wait the stock market will right itself in the long run)

Why would he dump that for a "trigger"? :shrug: Yeah, it may be easier to get through Congress but....*ugh* :puke:

could pass, if it were down to that or nothing.

Yeah, a trigger could probably pass but I don't want it UNLESS we just need it to get it out of the Senate and to conference.

But didn't he say he was going to have CBO score that during the recess? Are the numbers back in?

Is he commenting on the Senate bill? Why would he be doing that?

the Snowe trigger-compromise might pass both houses of Congress. Of course they all support the public option (as do I). But that wasn't the question.

a trigger could pass the house.

it doesn't kick in until 2013. Is anyone else surprised by this or am I the only one?

And Weiner said essentially we have a trigger in this now - because it won't kick in until 2013 anyway.

We're just kicking the can down the road.

I really didn't think I heard him say that a 'trigger might be able to pass'. What I heard is that he was badmouthing the 'trigger' in the new sense that it is being used under Olympia Snowe's plan

doesn't state that definitely:



PDF

:banghead:

I was listening for it. He did certainly badmouth it, and I would too (I would rather have a robust public option), but the question was would this pass if it were that or nothing, and Weiner answered that it might.

Sorry - I just had to inject a little levity. I'm really despondent today because of all the talk of Trigger's and the stupidity of those that just don't realize what President Obama wants to do is good for all of us.

Thats probably an even worse idea than no reform at all since it would open up the debate on what the trigger would be.

They can claim to have created a public option due to some triggers that can never be met, and the end result still ends up as a windfall for the insurance industry.

then lets abandon the option altogether and put in such a mechanism to trigger single payer.

Let's give them a real incentive to change if that's all that can really be accomplished. In reality, that might be a better stick than even a day one option as it would be a total put up or shut up on their ability to behave responsibly (especially considering the government helps them sooooooooooooo damn much already by absorbing the highest risk people as is).

More so than anyone else, save the GOP...

Sure, few people would want a trigger as their first option, but few people would want any compromise as their first option. The Whitehouse has apparently decided that this is what can be achieved in the Senate.

he must be taken down now.

America is simply owned and operated by corporations and everyone living in it is paying fees to live under it.

corporate thing is moving along --!!!


But do want to say "thank you" for the good example you all set up there!!!




:)

I hope I'm wrong.

but he does say that a trigger might get enough votes.

and that is what he said. It is a change from the I-would-kill-healthcare-if-it-didn't-have-a-public-option stance. I would have put up the whole conversation if I could remember it word-for-word. Didn't mean to mislead anyone.

would go for it.

As someone said...if it's a trigger, it could be easily undone once the Repubs gain back control of the government. It's harder to undo a program that is set in place and up and running...or at least the basics for the program have been established and funded.

No trigger.

Gives the vultures running the insurance companies time to either get it repealed by a possible future Repub Congress and President...or figure some other way around it!

We should grab our torches and pitchforks and storm Congress!

That'll pass with mandatory private insurance!

Can't see why the private insurance industry, drug cartel and for-profit health care industry would object.

After the huge Wall Street handout why shouldn't they get one from the taxpayers?

But that's the reality of it.

A public option is the next best thing that's available and being seriously considered.

We need a public option f&*%ing NOW!!!

This is not good at all.